Baby with tachyarrhythmia treated, discharged healthy from Medicover.

VISAKHAPATNAM, 1st June 2022: A 28-year-old woman, who lost a premature baby previously was gifted a pregnancy again and this time she approached Medicover Woman and Child hospital, Visakhaptnam. The woman delivered a premature baby with an uncommon condition but due to the alertness of the doctors and discipline of the patient the baby was saved and discharged in a healthy condition which revived the lost hope of the family in this complicated case.

The woman had regular pregnancy check-ups with the Medicover obstetrician and Gynecologist - Dr. N Bhulakshmi and her blood tests and ultrasound scans, including NT and anomaly scans, were all normal. She had good fetal movements until 29th week of pregnancy when the fetus was discovered to have tachyarrythmia (increased heart rate) for the first time in the growth scan by the hospital’s fetal medicine specialist - Dr. M Madhuri. The fetal atrial heart rate was 440- 460 bpm and ventricular heart rate was 220-230 bpm with a 2:1 AV conduction on M mode and pulse doppler and hence atrial flutter (a life threatening form of tachyarrythmia & an uncommon condition that occurs in 0.4-0.6% of pregnancies) was diagnosed.

Fetal echo was done and the heart was found structurally normal. In view of this the woman was admitted and the scan was repeated after 6 hours, and it sustained tachyarryrhmia. A pediatric cardiologist and an adult cardiologist consultation was taken and managed for increased heart rate. Daily ultrasound were done during the hospital stay to rule out any evidence of hydrops/haemodynamic compromise/hydramnios and the pregnancy could be prolonged till 32 weeks. At 32 weeks a rescue course of betamethasone was given for fetal lung maturity and caesarean was done.

The baby was delivered successfully but had respiratory distress with tachypnea and severe tachycardia since birth with oxygen saturation of 88% in room air. In view of this the newborn was taken up by the team of doctors for neonatal Intensive care lead by Dr. Sai Sunil Kishore, Consultant Neonatologist. The baby was ventilated and baby was managed with various drugs for respiratory distress, fluttering heart rate for a period of 3 days. Baby was extubated after 3 days and after maintaining a normal rate and rhythm for 5 days, baby was discharged after 17 Days of admission. This news brought a wave of happiness for the entire family. On follow up baby cardiac rhythm is found to be normal.

This exemplary treatment by the doctors simply revived the lost hope of the family in this complicated case The family thanked the doctors and the hospital for this miracle!